Means for securing movable partitions in filing-cabinets or the like.



No. 759,392. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

y B. J. NOBLBT-L MEANS FOR SECURING MOVABLE PARTITIONS IN FILING CABINETS OR THE LIKE. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 19. 1902.

UNIT STATES Patented May 10, 1904. I

"OFFICE.

- EDWARD J. NOBLETT, or cH o eo, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION farming part'of LettersPatent No. 759,392, dated May 10,-1904.,

I Application filed July 19, 1902. Serial No. 116,165., iNO model-l.

To all whontit mag concern: q

Be it known thatl, EDWARDJ. NOBLETT, a citizen, of the United States, and a resident of ing Movable Partitions in Filing-Cabinetsbr; the Like; and I do hereby declare that the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description" thereof, reference be1ng had to the accompanying drawings, and to'the letters of reference marked thereon, which'form a part of? this specification.

relation with a filing-drawer. has been common in filing devices of the class;

. acts to hold the same inposition.

The invention is shown more particularly in Heretofore it adapted to be adjusted to accommodate vary-F ing quantities of-material or data contained in the till or drawer. It has been also cus-E tomary to provide a longitudinal rod: in the till or drawer, which passes through said inovable partition and also through the lower mar-- gin of the filing cards or papers and which It has been; customary in many instances to rigidly secure .or look the movable partition on said rod when in its adjustedposition. This hasbeen objectionable, owing to the undue strain placed upon the rod and the .fact that said rod when. the drawer is of considerablelength will not afiord a-sufificiently-rigid support for the partitions. i

The object of my invention is to provide means for rigidly securing said partition in its adjusted position entirely independent of said rod and to permit said rod to be removed or partly removed for the purpose'ofremoving or inserting paper without afiecting the engagement of the partition in the drawer.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is also a perspective view'illustrating the rear side of the partition and the means for locking the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the lock mechanism, showing the same .as shown inFigs. 3 and 4:.

is the vertical post 6'.

at holding position. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing I the same in its released position. Fig. 5 1s adetail view showing the means for fastening the partition within the drawer.

As shown in said drawings, A indicates the .box or drawer having end walls and side walls,

the sides andends of the drawer, but which togetherare of lesswidth than said drawer, thereby providing a comparatively broad open space inthe bottom of the drawer, extending longitudinally thereof. a The inner margins of the drawer on their under sides are"'rab1beted,

B indicates the partition, which, as shown,

vis rigidlysecunedfrom-a foot-piece b,which fitscloselyin the bottom of the drawer and is block 6 which fits closely in said space be- .tween the bottom boards transversely thereof and is shapedat-its ends to engage over the rabbeted edges of the boards, thus forming a retaining-cleat for the partition, while pernhitting the same to slide freely. Rigidly'connecting said footboard and partition centrally Adjustably supported upon said post by' means of the integral stem 0 is the friction foot (1, comprising a sheetmetal'plate of any desired widthand of a length sufiicient to extend into or' beyond the rabbeted portion of the adjacent edges of the bottom boards a. The stem isprovided with longitudinally-slotted apertures in which engage screws rigidly secured in the post and foot-piece Z) and which permit said frictionfoot to be moved vertically into and out of engagement with the lower surfaces of the bottom board, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. Pivoted on said post I) is the hand-lever C, which is connected intermediate of its ends with the upper end ofthe stem 0 by the toggle-bar c, the ends of which are respectively pivoted on said parts.

D indicates a rod extending longitudinally in the drawer or till and intermediate between the inner edges of the bottom board, as shown in Fig. 2, and which passes through a vertically-slotted aperture in said stem 0, as

shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, whereby said friction-foot may be moved vertically into or out of locking engagement with the bottom board without jamming or engaging the rod. At the outer end of the rod is provided a milled head cl, which extends beyond the front of the drawer, as shown in Fig. 1, and is adapted for manual engagement to permit said rod to be removed or partly removed from the drawer for the purpose of inserting or removing data or papers from the files.

The operation is as follows: The cards or papers being secured in the drawer in the usual manner by means of the rod D passing through apertures near the lower margins of the same, the movable partition B may be moved forwardly or backwardly to provide sufficient space for the files. The rearwardlyinclined surface thereof affords a support for the file-leaves in a position most readily adapted to permit inspection. When the thumblever 0 is in its vertical position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the friction-foot C engages positively in the rabbeted margins of the bottom boards, as shown, and sufficient tension is applied thereto by means of said lever to rigidly lock said movable partition from displacement. Should it be desired to move said partition, the thumb-lever C may be actuated either to the right or to the left, in either event releasing the friction-foot from its engagement with the bottom boards and permitting the partition to be freely slid to the desired position. Inasmuch as said thumblever may be actuated to a releasing position either to the right or to the left and in its vertical position rigidly holds the parts in adjustment, the'operator is able to operate the device with either hand with equal facility, adjusting the partition to the desired point and again locking the same with one hand while manipulating papers with the other. It is also a matter of considerable importance that the rod may be removed or adjusted to engage or to release the filing-sheets without disturbing the adjustment of the partition.

Obviously details of construction may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In a filingdevice the combination with a drawer-till, of a slidable partition therein comprising a relatively broad base, a rearwardlyinclined partition thereon rigidly secured on the front margin of the base, means beneath the bottom of the till and rigidly secured to said base adapted to hold the partition in close contact with said bottom, a vertically-movable clamping-plate adapted to engage beneath the bottom of the drawer and a lever pivotally supported on the partition and acting to draw said plate upwardly into rigid engagement with said bottom.

2. The combination with a drawer provided with a longitudinal slot in its bottom, of a partition slidably secured therein, a transverse cleat rigidly secured on the partition and slidably engaged beneath said bottom, a locking device carried on the partition comprising a resilient clamping-plate supported below and transversely of the bottom of the drawer and a toggle-lever carried on the partition and acting in one position to rigidly engage said plate against the bottom of the drawer, and when moved laterally to release the plate therefrom.

3. The combination with a drawer provided in its bottom with a longitudinal slot, of a slidable partition permanently secured therein, embracing a base, a rearwardly-inclined wall secured on the front margin thereof, a post rigidly connecting the wall and base near the rear margin of the base, a transverse cleat secured on the base and engaging under the drawer-bottom adapted to only permit movement longitudinally of the drawer and a resilient clamping member extending downwardly through said slot and transversely beyond the inner edges of the bottom, and a toggle-lever acting in one position to move said clamping member into positive engagement with the bottom and adapted to be moved laterally to release the same therefrom.

4. The combination in a filing-till havinga longitudinal central'bottom slot, of a slidable partition therein comprising a relatively broad base, means rigidly secured beneath the base and adapted to engage beneath the bottom of the till and to hold the partition in close contact therewith, a rearwardly inclined wall thereon, a clamping member extending through the slot and transversely beneath the bottom boards of the till, a lever pivotally engaged on the partition, a toggle connecting said lever with said clamping member and an adjustable rod extending centrally through said slot and through a part of the clamp, and adapted to be removed from the drawer independently of the adjustment of the clamp.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD J. NOBLETT. Witnesses A. (J. ODELL, J. W. ANGELL. 

